UK officially launches bid to host 2035 Women's World Cup

The English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh Football Associations have banded together to put forward this World Cup bid. Of the 22 proposed stadiums, 16 will be in England, three in Wales, two in Scotland, and one in Northern Ireland across 16 host cities. The English FA says the bid is built on the vision of 'All Together' - a rallying cry for women's football and 'sport more broadly to empower worldwide'.

A joint statement from the CEOs of the FA, Irish FA, Scottish FA, and FA of Wales reads: "Hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup would be a huge privilege for our four home nations. If we are successful, the 2035 tournament will be the biggest single-sport event held on UK soil with 4.5 million tickets available for fans. We are proud of the growth that we’ve driven in recent years across the women’s and girls’ game, but there is still so much more growth to come, and this event will play a key role in helping us deliver that. Working together with FIFA, a Women’s World Cup in the UK has the power to turbo charge the women’s and girls’ game both in the UK and globally. Our bid also demonstrates our commitment to leaving a lasting legacy, in the run up to 2035, and the years afterwards.  Together, we want to welcome the world to the UK to celebrate and enjoy an unforgettable tournament."

As part of this plan, the four countries are committed to a lasting legacy of women's football. And they want to deliver that through the three pillars of Participation, Leadership, and Commercial Growth. For one, this involves increasing access locally and worldwide, and focusing on underrepresented communities. Secondly, the goal is to empower women in leadership, to double female officials by 2035, and deliver global mentoring and education programmes. Finally, they hope to transfer the sport's commercial potential, attract new fans and partners, and reinvest revenues into grassroots and elite pathways.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer added: "Our bid to host the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup shows the UK’s passion for football. The Lionesses’ success has inspired girls across our country, and we’ll build on that momentum by welcoming millions of football fans from around the world to a tournament that will benefit communities and businesses in host cities up and down the UK. With significant investment in school sport and grassroots facilities through our Plan for Change, we’re creating opportunities for girls to play for their national team."

While it has not been built yet, Manchester United's proposed new Old Trafford Stadium is one of the 22 venues included in the UK's bid to host the 2035 World Cup. The full list of stadiums are below. Birmingham City's newly proposed ground has also been included. If United's redevelopment plans don't go ahead, Old Trafford will still be considered in its current iteration.

1. Windsor Park (Belfast)
2. Sports Quarter Stadium (Birmingham)
3. Villa Park (Birmingham)
4. American Express Stadium (Brighton & Hove)
5. Ashton Gate (Bristol)
6. Cardiff City Stadium (Cardiff)
7. Principality Stadium (Cardiff)
8. Easter Road (Edinburgh)
9. Hampden Park (Glasgow)
10. Elland Road (Leeds)
11. Hill Dickinson Stadium (Liverpool)
12. Chelsea Stadium (London)
13. Emirates Stadium (London)
14. Selhurst Park (London)
15. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London)
16. Wembley Stadium (London)
17. Etihad Stadium (Manchester)
18. St James' Park (Newcastle)
19. City Ground (Nottingham)
20. Stadium of Light (Sunderland)
21. Old Trafford (Trafford)
22. Stok Cae Ras (Wrexham)

According to BBC Sport, the UK's joint bid is currently unopposed. This could be ratified by a vote in a FIFA congress next year. So it may not be long before the four nations find out if their proposal is successful. Incidentally, from 2031, the Women's World Cup will be contested between 48 teams.